Wednesday, September 29, 2010

"Serving In Florida" by Barbara Ehrenreich

After reading "Serving in Florida", I understand better how rough life was in Florida during this time period. If you didn't have a job with a well paying salary, it was a struggle for you to make ends meet. I also noticed,while reading, that not only is Barbara working for less than minimum wage, but also the environment she works in is disgusting. She begins the narrative by explaining how horrible the kitchen and restaurant are. she also explains how the customers treat the areas the use, leaving food, spills, cigarette buds, etc. All of this adds to the financial struggle she faces due to her low wages. According to Barbara, customers also contribute to he stress at her workplace. In the narrative she describes them as the "enemies".

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

"Hair" By Malcolm X

After reading "Hair" by Malcolm X, I further understand his views of society during his time period. In "Hair" he describes an experience where he decides to try out a new hairstyle which, at that time, was called a conk. Conking was a style that would be equivalent to having a perm today and X believed that straightening his hair would look better than the "lifetime of kinks" he had to endured up to this point in his life. As he grew up into a more socially apprehensive man, he began to realize how much of a mistake he made and how ridiculous he looked, trying to emulate the straight hairstyle of a white man. X believed that he was being sucked into a stereotype of African Americans who were brainwashed into believing that they are inferior to whites. "I had joined the multitude of Negro men and women in America who are brainwashed into believing that the black people are 'inferior'-and white people 'superior'-that they will even violate and mutilate their God-created bodies to try to look 'pretty' by white standards" (X 23).  Moreover, Malcolm X viewed society at this time as white dominated and this ultimately prompted him to become political activist and also become a leader in the African American struggle freedom and equality amongst whites.

Although Malcolm X was a well-reknowned political activist and freedom fighter, he was also a very descriptive writer. While reading "Hair" I noticed that X is very descriptive when explaining the whole "conking" experience. He really gives the reader the opportunity to picture what he is explaining. "I gritted my teeth and tried to pull the sides of the table together. The comb felt as if it was raking my skin off. My eyes watered, my nose was running. I couldn't stand it any longer" (X 23). He uses a lot of sensory imagery which is a useful technique to keep the reader engaged throughout the passage. All in all, it was a great excerpt to read and has made me interested in reading the entire book at some point.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

"Hating Goldie" By Phyllis Rose

After reading "Hating Goldie", I understand that Phyllis Rose believed that in order to have a successful and fulfilling adult life, one must endure suffering throughout their childhood. She began the short story by acknowledging that she was from a well to do middle class family and that she grew up living a rather privileged lifestyle, which obviously means her parents never really forced her to suffer. Rose ultimately blames her parents for depriving her of the proper pain she needed to endure in order to become a "nourished artist". After reading this, and based on the psychiatrist mentioned at the very end about Rose's mother being a great parent, one can conclude that pain and suffering are not the keys to a successful adult life. To further this point, one may also refer to all the accolades highlighted in Rose's career prior starting the story, which proves that your level of success is not measured by how much suffering you endure as a child.